Aliens in the Family
Encyclopedia
Aliens in the Family is an American sci-fi
/fantasy
sitcom
that aired on ABC
, conceived as part of its TGIF
lineup.
Although not the focus of the show, the character to receive the most attention in episodes was Bobut, Cookie's infant son. Baby Bobut could talk, had a genius-level IQ, and was perpetually plotting a grisly fate for those around him (though the series position as a family show meant that Bobut's plans were always family-friendly: for example, wreaking havoc on the city by causing a frog to grow ten times its size).
programming block until August 31, 1996.
, son of Jim Henson
, also served as executive producer. The series theme song was written and performed by Todd Rundgren
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/fantasy
Fantasy television
Fantasy television is a genre of television programming featuring elements of the fantastic, often including magic, supernatural forces, or exotic fantasy worlds. Fantasy television programs are often based on tales from mythology and folklore, or are adapted from fantasy stories in other media...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, conceived as part of its TGIF
TGIF (ABC)
TGIF was the name of an American family-friendly prime time television programming block on the ABC network. The name comes from the initials of the popular phrase "Thank God It's Friday"...
lineup.
Premise
The show was about single dad Doug Brody (John Bedford Lloyd), who is abducted by single alien mom Cookie (Margaret Trigg). The two fall in love, get married, and try to live a normal life on Earth as a mixed family. Much of the series humor was derived from gags involving the assimilation of the alien family into everyday life—despite being pink and having massive heads (all of the aliens were puppets designed by Jim Henson Productions), everyone on Earth seems to accept their presence, and in spite of possessing technology far superior to that of Earth, the aliens all go about their everyday lives in the same fashion as all the humans.Although not the focus of the show, the character to receive the most attention in episodes was Bobut, Cookie's infant son. Baby Bobut could talk, had a genius-level IQ, and was perpetually plotting a grisly fate for those around him (though the series position as a family show meant that Bobut's plans were always family-friendly: for example, wreaking havoc on the city by causing a frog to grow ten times its size).
Cancellation
The show premiered on March 15, 1996; ABC pulled the series from its TGIF lineup after two weeks, replacing the show's scheduled third airing with re-runs of other TGIF programs. The show did not return to the airwaves for over four months, re-premiering on July 27, 1996, with the third episode, "Cookie Makes Some Dough." Ratings remained low, and ABC cancelled the series before a full season aired; it continued to run as part of the TGIF lineup and as part of ABC's Saturday morningSaturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
programming block until August 31, 1996.
Cast
- John Bedford Lloyd.....Doug Brody
- Margaret Trigg......Cookie Brody
- Paige Tiffany.....Heather Brody
- Chris Marquette.....Adam Brody
- Julie Dretzin.....Sally Hagen
Production notes
The series was created, written by and executive produced by Andy and Susan Borowitz. Brian HensonBrian Henson
Brian Henson is an Academy Award-winning puppeteer, director, producer, and technician. The son of puppeteers Jane and Jim Henson, Brian was born in New York City, New York....
, son of Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
, also served as executive producer. The series theme song was written and performed by Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
.
Episodes
| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Meet the Brodys" | March 15, 1996 |
| 2 | "Bobut Conquers All" | March 22, 1996 |
| 3 | "Cookie Makes Some Dough" | July 27, 1996 |
| 4 | "You Don't Have a Pet to Be Popular" | August 3, 1996 |
| 5 | "Too Good to Be True" | August 10, 1996 |
| 6 | "Respect Your Elders" | August 17, 1996 |
| 7 | "Dissected and Neglected" | August 24, 1996 |
| 8 | "A Very Brody Tweeznax" | August 31, 1996 |